Charlecote Park

Charlecote Park is a house and park owned by the National Trust. It is located 4 miles east of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 6 miles south of Warwick on the B4086 Stratford/Banbury road. The house and park were owned by the Lucy family from the 13th century to 1945, when they were presented to the National Trust.

Sir Thomas Lucy tore down an earlier structure to make way for the present house in 1558. He was a man of wealth. He entertained Queen Elizabeth I at breakfast in 1572 as she made her way to Kenilworth. Lucy is better known for having fined the young William Shakespeare over a poaching incident in 1583. This incident prompted Shakespeare to flee Warwickshire for London.

Charlecote was inherited in the direct male line until George Lucy died in 1786. This man improved the house. He hired Capability Brown to improve the park about 1769. In the early years of the 19th century, another George Lucy continued improvements, leaving little unchanged except the gatehouse.